Celtics vs Heat Game 3 Odds and Picks
- The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat play Game 3 of the East Finals on Saturday (Sept. 19, 8:30 pm EST)
- Miami took Game 2 106-101 and lead the best-of-7 series 2-0
- See below for a betting preview and prediction for Game 3
We predicted Game 2 of the East Finals would be a tight, scrappy, low scoring affair and it did not disappoint. The Miami Heat overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to upset the Boston Celtics 106-101 and take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
TWO MORE. pic.twitter.com/na0y2zTufk
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 18, 2020
Game 3 goes Saturday at 8:30 pm EST, and believe it or not, the Heat are still not getting any respect at online sportsbooks.
Heat vs Celtics Game 3 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -3.0 (-110) | -150 | Over 207.0 (-110) |
| Miami Heat | +3.0 (-110) | +130 | Under 207.0 (-110) |
Odds taken Sept. 17h
Miami opened up as a 3-point underdog in the NBA odds, in a game that features a total of 207. Miami is now 10-1 in 11 playoff games in 2020, but have been favored in just one contest since the opening round.
The Comeback Kids
Prior to Thursday, the Heat had been 0-21 when trailing by at least 13 points at the half. They actually got down by as many as 15 in the third quarter, before Bam Adebayo cued the comeback. Adebayo, the hero of Game 1, was 7-of-8 from the field in the third q, nearly outscoring the entire Celtics team by himself.
KEEP FIGHTING 😤
💥 @Bam1of1 pic.twitter.com/E0Y1uFZYB7
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 18, 2020
Goran Dragic and the Miami defense took over down the stretch, as Dragic splashed a pair of daggers to preserve the lead, while Jimmy Butler came up with two key steals.
GORAN DRAGIC 😱😱😱#TiempoDePlayoffs pic.twitter.com/M9sqwRLdXe
— NBA en Movistar+ (@MovistarNBA) September 18, 2020
The Heat racked up 11 steals in total and committed 11 fewer turnovers than the Celts. Miami has now held its opponents to 104 points or less in seven of 11 postseason games, while Boston has scored fewer than 104 points in four of its past six.
Can Boston Bounce Back?
The Celtics actually shot the ball extremely well in Game 2, knocking down 50% of their attempts. Boston got 20+ points from Jason Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown, but took 18 fewer shots than the Heat. Turnovers were a big part of the problem, but so was their defensive rebounding.
The Celtics gave up 11 offensive rebounds and those second chance opportunities, along with the turnovers, was the difference in the game.
Defense ends games around here.#HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/sZ8PDBv9Iz
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 18, 2020
Boston allows the most offensive rebound (9.1) of any of the four remaining teams, which has some wondering if we’ll see more Enes Kanter in Game 3. Kanter played only 11 minutes in Game 2, but did collect 6 rebounds during that stretch. His presence could help slow down Adebayo who’s been a Celtic killer through two games.
The Heat Remain Hot
Obvioulsy, Game 3 now becomes a must win for Boston but does it really justify them giving 3 points? Miami certainly looks like the better, more physical team and the Heat have been cover machines during the playoffs.
Look at Jimmy Business Trip Butler man… so inspirational pic.twitter.com/ur8T4QzBry
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 18, 2020
Miami is 10-1 against the number so far, while Boston has failed to cover in four of its past six. The Heat are a perfect 10-0 in series under head coach Eric Spoelstra when jumping out to a 2-0 lead, which should entice bettors to look at their NBA Title odds. Miami is currently +360 to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy, a number that will surely be shortened if they dispatch Boston.
Pick: Miami +3.0 (-110)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
